Ok I recently purchased an 1200. Its been down on the left side. (Sitting on the bike) I have had a tererrible shake not the gold wing wobble. I paid to have front wheel bearings, and triple tree bearings replaced as well as fork seal. The mechanic was a hack, he didn't even have the socket for the triple tree after I told him I would not except the work by "feel". He made one and supposedly re did it. I am going to check his torque and also do the rear wheel bearings and swing arm. That's said before all this effort and money I have been asked if the frame could be bent, by sight I can not tell anything is bent frame wise or even hit hard. I do know that the handlebars are slightly bent. Is there measurements I can take some how or another? To me the fairing mount appears slightly bent but I cant tell for sure, meaning Im not sure I have the wheel pointed exactly straight. Could the forks have twisted slightly? Crazy thing is I bought it and rode it 70 miles, It rode wonderful. Then I hit a section of road at about 50 where they had ground off the top of the road so bumpy and pee gravel. All Hell broke loose not a wobble. Again not a wobble !!! It shook in my hands side to side so hard it felt as if it had sprained my wrists just to hang on. It honestly was lifting me out of the seat as it shook. Comnplete and total loss of control. Brakes made it worse. Only cause it didn't want to, it didn't go down. I then drove thirty more miles on freeway smooth road with no troubles. If you wiggle the bars at any speed it is crazy violent. Not sure if the triple tree wheel bearings helped. Ive torn bike down for winter and preparing to do swing arm bearings and rear wheel bearings. Again if your going to tell me they all wobble learn to live with it you really have no understanding of what I am saying !!! I own an 83, I know what a wobble is, this is NOT that. What I am looking for is info how to take some measurement to know the bike is true. Or how to check the forks themselves.

Ok so here's my reply. These bikes handle worse than HD. MY 01 wide glide wobbles less than my 86 1200I. the simple test is to have someone else ride the bike away from you and towards you while you lay flat in the street to get a birds eye view as to whether or not the front wheel rear wheel are tracking "true". if not than correct that first. PS you have to trust the person riding the bike. these bikes have a super steep rake and the geometry wll never let them be thrown into a one handed sweeper at speed. Im sure that a little more friction/resistance in the triple clamp, assuring the front/rear wheels are tracking true and adding "dynamic beads" to the fron tire will eliminate the death grip wobble but these bikes "suck". I love my 86 restoration project and when she wobbles i smile, throttle and hang on!.

While you're down there checking the alignment, with the bike on the center stand, push the swingarm from side to side and see if you have any free play (there should be none). Also check the wheel bearings for yourself, being that you distrust your mechanic.